Guide for can-opening keys and tear strips



Oct 23, 1951 B. c. SCHLUTER 2,572,820

GUIDE FOR CAN OPENING KEYS AND TEAR STRIPS Filed Aug. 25 1950 1 rm r011.

BER N RD C. SC H LLJTESZ Patented Oct. 23, 1951 GUIDE FOR CAN -PENING KEYS AND TEAR STRIPS Bernard 0. Schluter, Newark N. J., assignor of one-third to Charles Kanter and one-third to Edward F. Walsh, both of Newark, N. J.

Application August 25, 1950, Serial No. 181,350

The present invention deals with a strip guide cooperative with container openers and more particularly with a strip guide cooperative with container openers of the key type generally employed in opening vacuum sealed containers.

In opening containers of the type adapted to be opened by stripping the walls thereof, a key is generally employed to engage a preformed tab or tongue and which by a winding action removes a strip of the container wall, thereby enabling the opening of the container. In the case of metal containers, e. g. cans, a metallic strip is coiled upon itself by the winding action of the key but, due to the substantial resiliency of metal, the concentricity of the winding or coil and the alignment of the edges of the coil are difficult to maintain. When the edges of the coil are not in substantial alignment, they are hazardous in that their sharpness may inflict injury on a person operating the opener. Also, when the windings become disengaged, i. e., when the coil windings are no longer concentric or wound about themselves, the metallic strip is subject to twisting which may cause the strip to break prematurely, resulting in only a partially opened con tainer. In addition, disengaged windings offer difficulty in completing the opening of a container.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a strip guide cooperative with a key type container opener whereby the concentricity of strip windings is maintained. It is another object of the present invention to provide a strip guide whereby the edges of a coiled strip are maintained in substantial alignment. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a strip guide protective against injury due to the sharpness of the strip edges. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a strip guide adapted to be used with existing type or common container opening keys usually provided with vacuum-sealed containers. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description hereinafter following and the drawings forming a part hereof, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a common container opening key,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a strip guide according to the present invention,

Fig. 3 illustrates the blank from which the strip guide shown in Fig. 2 is made, and

Fig. 4 illustrates a cut-away view of a container and the operational combination of Figs- 1 and 2.

' 2 Claims. (01. 220-52) and-which comprises a handle or bow I, a stemor shank 2 and an end portion or pin 3. A portion of the shank 2 is preferably flattened as at 4 between the pin 3 and bow I to facilitate the provision of a slot 5 therethrough which is adapted to engage a tab or tongue on a container wall to initiate the winding of a strip about said shank.

Fig. 2 illustrates a substantially U-shaped strip guide 6 according to the present invention. The strip guide 6 is preferably formed of a metal strip having a base or bridge portion 1 and substantially parallel and elongated legs 8 and 9 extending preferably perpendicularly from the bridge portion 1 to form the U-shaped strip guide 6. The legs 8 and 9 are tapered or sloped along at least a portion of their lengths to provide pointed extremities l0 and H and are provided with notches l2 and I3 formed in the longitudinal edges l4 and I5 and spaced from the sliding longitudinal edges l6 and I! which are preferably slightly arched or curved in order to present a more advantageous sliding contact with the wall of a cylindrical container.

Although the guide 6 as illustrated by Fig. 2 is in the form of a substantially U-shaped structure ready for use, it may be provided as a straight piece shown by Fig. 3 which may be subsequently formed into the U-shaped structure by bending along the grooves or indentations l8 and ill to facilitate the bending and to maintain the desirable shape of the guide.

Fig. 4 illustrates the operational combination of the opener and strip guide above described, whereby a container, e. g. a metal container 20, is opened by removing or tearing a metal strip 2| from the container wall. Prior to using the guide 6, a tab or tongue (not shown) is inserted into the slot 5 and the opening of the container is started by turning the bow l for a few turns. Thereafter, the strip guide 6 is used by positioning the extremities between the key and the container and forcing the guide 6 so that the key slides up the inclined portions of the legs 8 and 9 until the key shank 2 and pin 3 rest in the notches l2 and 13 respectively. With the key being thus positioned, the bow l is turned and the strip 2| winds about the shank within the U-shaped guide."

The curved sliding edges l6 and I1 slide about the container wall automatically upon the winding action of the key until the entire strip 2| is removed whereupon the key and guide disengage since the retaining pressure of the wound strip shape are possible without departing from the true scope of the invention. i

What I claim is:

1. A strip guide cooperative with a container opening key comprising a substantially U-shapedstructure, said U-shaped structure consisting of a bridge portion and a pair of elongated legsextending substantially parallel and perpendicularly therefrom, said legs beingsloped alongatleast, a portion of their lengths from'theextremities thereof, a notch in one longitudinal edgeof each.

of said legs between an extremity and said, bridge portion, the longitudinal edge of each of said legs opposite said notched edge being aicurved.

edge, said notches being engageable with a containeropen ng key for the-rotation of---saidkey therein,

2.,A strip guide cooperativewith a container: opening key comprising a substantially U-shaned- 20 Number Name Date 687,939- Moore Y .Dec. 3,1901 1,911,613 Epstein May 30, 1933 2,542,116 Bulger: Feb. 20, 19.51

4 structure, said U-shaped structure consisting of a bridge portion and a pair of elongated legs extending substantially parallel and perpendicularly therefrom, said legs having upper and lower longitudinal edges,-said upper longitudinal edges each being sloped along at least a portion of their lengthssfrom the=extremitiesr thereof, 'a notch in each, of: said upper edges between an extremity and said' bridge portion, said lower longitudinal 'ed'ges being curved, said notches being engageabIe-Witha container opening key for the rotation of said key therein.

BERNARD C. SCHLUTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the i .file oi thisipatentz V UNITED STATES PATENTS 

